Don’t self-medicate

If you’re stressing out or having trouble coping it’s tempting to have a few more drinks to relax, or a joint, or five bucket bongs, or whatever it is you do to unwind. Don’t.

Seriously, getting wasted will only make problems worse. Shit doesn’t get sorted by starting an addiction.

If you’ve already been using something a fair bit and aren’t sure if you have a problem or not, keep your eye out for the upcoming QUIZ: Do I have a drug or alcohol problem?– “yes” answers can mean you need help to get things under control.

If you need help, start with your doctor, and if they aren’t helpful try another one

You need someone you can talk to honestly (remember, what you say to your doctor is confidential unless there’s a serious risk of harm to yourself or someone else).

Once you’ve got a good doctor, they can help you work out what you need, like counselling, a support group, medication, rehabilitation or even just a friendly ear to discuss stuff – but catch a problem early and it’s usually easier to fix.

Natural remedies: There are plenty of rubbish and fake products along with the good natural treatments and remedies. Check out if there’s any proof or someone’s just trying to make a buck before you shell out your money. If you need help working it out, contact me and I’ll try to help.

Remember, just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s safe though – the hemlock plant is a deadly poison that grows wild, for example.

And make sure you tell your doctor if you’re taking any natural remedies, as herbals can interact with pharmaceuticals.

Mental illness myths debunked

There’s a lot of ideas floating around about mental illness that are just plain wrong

It’s not common: Actually it is – around 1 in 5 adults have a mental disorder (higher in young adults).

People get violent: Not usually – people with a mental illness are no more violent than the general population (except to themselves).

It’s all in your head: No it’s not – mental illness has physical symptoms like sleep and appetite changes, panic attacks and hallucinations.

You need to be zonked out on pills: No you don’t – not all treatment needs medication. Things like relaxation techniques, exercise and talk therapy may be enough, and there are different medication and community support options. Discuss with your doctor.

It’s a life sentence: No matter WHAT the mental illness, most people fully recover; others may have occasional episodes with years in between and a MINORITY of severe cases need medication and management long-term.

What to do in a crisis

If a crisis happens to you or someone you know and you’re frightened for your safety, contact emergency (911 or 000) for police help.

Otherwise, in many places you can call your local area health service for free, 24/7 to ask for help (web-search it under mental health service in your area) – they can advise you or may organise a crisis team or other response.

Warning: Drugs like marijuana, LSD, ecstasy and others can trigger mental illness – it’s best to avoid them, especially if you’ve a family history of mental illness.

Don’t make it the end of your world

Tomorrow’s always a new day…

Sometimes just being an adult is overwhelming (there’s a lot of stuff to learn!) but it can get especially hard if there are added issues (like some kind of crisis, for example, or substance abuse, eating disorders or mental illness).

Don’t compare your problems to others’: we all have our own struggles.

No matter what – whether you’ve lost someone, been dumped, you’re failing uni, are addicted to something – you CAN deal with it – bit by bit, step by step. Even when it’s hard to see past what’s happening, to how to fix things, believe it or not, it will get better. Time does heal.

Don’t do something you’ll regret. Wait the trouble out.

If everything’s falling apart… If it feels like your world is a disaster, STOP FOR A MINUTE! It can mean the difference between getting help in a rough patch and not coping.

Make a cup of tea (or whatever is soothing for you, preferable not hard liquor though). Go sit outside. Feel the sun on your skin. Sip.

THIS TIME WILL PASS – think past it. Realise you’re lucky to be alive. You’ll get to do fun things and get to see special things in the future.

Remember, everything is manageable with time (ok, maybe not so manageable if you’re a fledgling serial killer…). But, seriously, time WILL help, and help IS available to get on track.

Make the choice to nurture yourself – it’s better than doing something destructive.